re: Table saw sleds, How 5 cut do you need to be?

After watching those videos I went out and checked my seldom-used big sled and found it had some considerable slop (from a precision standpoint anyway). I used the blue tape trick and tightened it right up. 👍🏼

I know my two miter slots are different from each other owing to wear on an old saw. That said, my trunion is true and the blade runs parallel, so my jigs and setups seem to work pretty well from a precision standpoint.

Having a little (and just a little) metal working experience, I concur with Kenny. I spend a lot of time dialing in my chineseum mill and lathe, down to the thou. They do fine for the work I do, but it becomes obvious how much more pressure is being forced on the metal working tools trying to engage the project.

‘Flex’ is a real thing and it’ll show up in (my) finished projects if I’m not careful. That’s why real metalworking tools are super beefy. But it also brings an interesting ‘workshop premise’ to light that I think any woodworker needs to think about: understand not only the design limits, but also the practical functional limits of your wood working tools.

That doesn’t mean you have to have all the numbers at hand, but understanding how hard you can (vs should) push a machine will certainly affect your outcome. I was just reading something about bandsaw drift, which I think is a perfect example of this. A properly set up and used bandsaw of reasonable quality does not drift! Improperly set up wheels and tires, improperly tensioned blades, dull (improper) blades, improper tooth count, or improper feed rate will cause drift. 

I certainly needed a lesson on feed rate early on, and I think a lot of guys do. You wanna make your head spin, read a good article on chip load and feed rate for end mills. 😳 But, once you start to understand the limits and range of your tools, you can turn out great stuff. 

It’s arguable (I’d say I agree with it) that larger, heavier, more ‘professional’ tools will make all this a little easier. Specifically because of their build quality and (usually) mass, they’re less likely to lose their settings once dialed in, and they’re less likely to suffer from being under powered (which leads a novice to over-feed). That’s not to say a professional machine makes a novice’s work turn out like a pro’s, but it does take some of the variables out of the equation. And I need as few variables to contend with as I can get!!

What’s the saying about a professional is just better at knowing how to correct their mistakes? I’d also argue a professional has a better understanding of his machines and how to get the best out of them. 

All this to say that building on simple, accurate benchmarks when making a jig is probably the best way to get an accurate jig. Aim small, miss small.